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The 2nd stop of the 2014 IFSC Bouldering World Cup was in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Rewatch the Final:

Finals Rundown

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Women’s 1

Mina at the top of WF1

Move right to that yellow jib on the bottom of the bottom visible triangle in the pic above, drop knee, cross left to top of two slopers, match right in on bottom sloper, high left foot, right hand up to bonus, high left heel, cross to volume edge, match, pop to last hold.

Mina Markovic came out first and climbed beautifully to the bonus, then fell trying to cross to the volume edge above her on her way to the final hold. Next go she got a higher, more secure heel, got the volume edge, and still struggled a bit before finally just jumping to the end.

Mina trying to figure out the end.

Mina in position for the jump. She underclung the volume to get her left heel out so she could jump.

Jump!

This last two moves seemed to be the biggest difference in the problem, with taller girls jumping immediately and the shortest competitors (Mina and Jule) both falling. The hold seemed decent once they jumped to it.

Jule fell first go, then second go jumping to the final hold when she seemed to miss it. Meanwhile on the Men’s problem Killian flashed, and someone reset the clock, so after Jule’s second fall she had to sit around for several minutes while they figured out what was going on. As soon as she could climb again she hiked the problem and the last move looked a little desperate but she caught it.

Shauna rocking the dropknee 2nd move.

In comparison, Akiyo just pulled up and moved to the last move slowly without her feet cutting til she had it. Anna and Shauna both quickly thugged through the problem.

Alex got bonus and finished the problem 2nd try.

Alex staring down the end.

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Men’s Final 1

Kokoro in the middle.

Rock left and double dyno to two holds, the higher of which was the bonus. Left hand out, high right foot, right hand up to volume, perch and stab for final pocket.

Again, seemed like the shorter guys suffered a bit more. The first move was sort of a one-two dyno to two holds on the arete. First out, Kokoro Fujii took eight tries to do the first move, but once he did it he finished the problem just after time ran out.

Kokoro at the top.

French climber Jeremy Bonder took four goes. Jan Hojer hiked it, skipping a hold. Kilian fell once, then hiked it. Both the Russians went static right hand cross first, then crossed up to the bonus and matched it before continuing. Both flashed.

Dmitrii going right hand first.

Rustam matching the jib.

Rustam grabbing the volume.

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Women’s Final 2

Shauna matching the triangle.

Big volumes. High start, jump feet up to high left foot, rock left, match, up left again to bonus, cross to high triangle, match to get left hand on the part with the thumb catch, right thrutch to the finish off. Last move off a right foot or keeping feet out left and swing-jumping, which is what most people did for success.

Mina fell at the top and didn’t finish.

Anna flashed.

Shauna flashed with what looked like a knee scum and then a beautiful backen-heel at the top. When she got down she pointed out a loose hold to the judges.

Shauna backen-heeling to the finish.

Akiyo looked extremely uncomfortable at the top and fell off the last move after looking like she couldn’t quite get up over the right foot. Fell again somewhere or before that. Next try she moved faster at the top and grabbed the top hold to finish.

Akiyo setting up for the last move.

Jule flashed.

Alex hiked her way through the bottom, then moved too quickly to the last hold and just missed it. Fell there again. Fell in middle. Bummed.

Alex in the middle.

Alex moving to the triangle. She matched it and fell moving up right to the last hold.

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Men’s Final 2

Jeremy working through the middle.

Big circle volumes, awkward looking leftward moves with a huge left foot triangle and a slippery looking mantle at the top. Start with a hand and nearby heel up right, lower left hand and low left foot. Cross right to hold on volume. Left to the side of the volume and/or again to the left wall, swing left, move up left with big triangle feet, get highest volume, mantle to stand on it, lean over in terror to the finish.

Kokoro flashed to bonus, then fell from mantle and didn’t finish.

Jan flashed.

Jeremy got up past bonus first go, then fell trying to get up on the 2nd to highest volume. Next go matched it and fell trying to get on the highest volume for the mantle. He sat on the right foot and thrutched for it and got a good handful, but then didn’t stick and slowly slid off.

Jeremy rocking up to the bonus, trying not to slide off.

Dmitrii flashed.

Dmitrii at the top. His method was scary but it worked. He mantled on top of the ball and then leaned.

Kilian fell first go moving up to the highest volume (the bonus hold) when his heel slipped. Next go he used his toe and a knee scum, pulled against the no friction to get up, scored for bonus, then instead of mantling just tried to lean right to grab the finish as Jan did. He couldn’t quite reach and fell off again. Next go he did the same sequence, stood somehow a bit taller, touched the hold, threw a high left foot, crossed over and touched the finish hold with his other hand to score his top. Crazy.

Kilian in the middle.

Kilian topping.

Rustam fell first go on the same moves up to the highest circle volume that were giving everyone else trouble. 2nd go was the same thing. That hold looks super slippery and, as the announcers said, the shorter climbers had a real problem with those moves. Rustam fell again (I think). And again. Couldn’t get onto the volume. It looked like the bad but high right foot was the beta for establishing on that volume.

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Women’s Final 3

Anna matching the sloper with the thumb undercling. She’s riding a good right heel here.

Big volume, swing left to crimp on volume, heel, under-thumb jib on a 2nd volume, match it (where Anna is above), tiny painful looking crimps, can flip thumb to undercling, and a high foot rock up and left, balance to match the bad finish jib.

First go Mina, probably one of the best crimpers on the planet, got to the top but couldn’t manage to do the last move off two holds that the announcer described as nothing. Next go she moved left and got her foot up before standing to those holds, then rocked left to the finish.

Mina pinching the thumb and staring down the bonus.

Mina rocking onto her foot.

Mina on the bad holds “crimping on the Top 30 logo” as the announcers said.

Anna flashed.

Anna standing up nicely.

Shauna flashed.

Akiyo flashed.

Akiyo standing it up

Jule flashed. The wind was blowing her ponytail straight out right the whole time. must have been strange to compete like that.

Alex trying to campus to the feet. She did, and tried all 3, but none were good enough.

Alex did the first couple of moves, then fell moving left. Fell on 2nd move. 3rd go hit 2nd hold, swung left heel up to get higher volume and match it, then fell trying to hit bonus. It looked like she couldn’t sit on the left heel. Next go went with right foot again like everyone else, shifted over to left toe, foot slipped as she hit the bonus and off. Didn’t score for it. Announcer said she’s trying to grab the bonus, when really it is is super slick and should just be touched as you sit on your foot before moving out left. Next go she tried to skip the high volume by campusing to the feet. She got to all of them but none was good enough and she dropped. Last go she got up high on the volume, realized that wasn’t going to work, tried to bump back down and fell. No bonus.

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Men’s Final 3

Jeremy trying to get set for the last move.

Jumpy first move (at least for shorter competitors) to two flat triangles put together to make sort of a space ship looking thing. Left side is better. Match and float feet right to clamp volume. Shuffle hands right. Stand into undercling triangle volume, feet up on space ship, balancy in control reach to top, which is a bad jib on a volume on top of the wall–kinda cool.

Kokoro kept jumping to the middle and had trouble sticking it. No bonus. It looked like he might have been able to jump to the left side like Jeremy did and it would have been easier to stick.

Jan staticing the first move.

Jan nearly staticed but couldn’t quite reach. Did a tiny jump to stick the space ship, kept getting thwarted on the next move. Next goes he basically staticed the first move, then lifted off and moved feet right to clamp feet on a volume and match the space ship. From there he looked very scrunched and fell several times, sort of trying to mantle but unable to move up from there. He did get the bonus point for grabbing the undercling triangle on his first go.

Jan matching feet with a bicycle.

Jeremy fell, fell, stuck but fell rocking his feet over. Stuck, matched, feet over, after some finagling managed to stand into the bonus hold (triangle volume undercling on a triangle volume) tried to stand up to the last move to the top but shot straight out backwards instead.

Jeremy pressing into the undercling.

Did beginning again, fell on undercling. Last go managed to get a knee jammed in, had a good guppy right hand on the top volume and underling right, twisted towards the top several times trying to generate but it the end it was too awkward and he fell. If he had finished this still would have been in 5th.

Dmitrii flashed the problem easily.

Dmitrii making the match at the top of 4.

Kilian fell on the first move. He fell again after matching the space ship. Seems like hitting it in the middle is bad because you swing off. Establishing on the left, then shifting right, seems to be working better. Also, right and middle of the space ship are in the sun. Fell again. Fell again. No bonus.

Rustam hiked the problem on his first try.

Rustam matching the top of 4. Under toe for security so he doesn’t swing out as he matches.

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Women’s 4

Mina at the start.

Volume blocked by another volume for the start, move right to big teardrop volume, foot jam, delicate match on top of it (apparently very slippery), rock up left to two jibs on a volume, one is bonus. Rock left on bad foot to gaston, press into it and match, up right cross to another volume at the top. The start feet are both out right so the sequence was put left foot on, right foot on (now you are established off the ground) then flag left foot out left to do the move. This caused some problems, as you will see below.

Mina pressing into the gaston. She fell here her first try.

Mina’s 2nd go she got into the gaston and pressed to match it but couldn’t get to the last hold. She wanted to go left but knew she couldn’t reach. Finally she moved up right hand and got it, but was stuck under the volume and fell trying to get a foot up so she could match.

Anna went left to the last hold (like Mina kept trying to do but couldn’t reach) and flashed easily.

Shauna has to flash. She gets on, does 1st move, matches bonus, drops. What? The judge called her off saying she didn’t start with her feet properly. She gets back on, does the proper foot touch, and finishes the boulder left hand first. Does it count as a flash? If so, the announcer says, she wins. UPDATE: Announcer says she was called down for dabbing (touching the mat with her foot as she pulled off on her 1st attempt) so it counts as a try and puts her in 2nd. That is crushing for Shauna. This would have been her first gold. Announcer says she did contest it when she got pulled off, said she didn’t dab, so we’ll see what happens if they do a video check or something. UPDATE 2: In the only angle for the live feed they replayed Shauna’s start and though you can’t see her foot she does seem to dab and pull back up. It also looked like someone (not the judges) called for the judges to call her off. The whole thing is less than ideal. UPDATE 3: A kind commenter (see below) has said that most likely an IFSC Judge was helping the problem judges as they were local and inexperienced. Makes sense, and thanks to him for the clarification. Also, it’s important to note here that there was a lot of complaining about the live feed in the live comment box and on Facebook, but those of us who watch these should be grateful there was any video at all as it seems the conditions were challenging on many fronts. The weather alone looked like it was exhausting. Thanks to the IFSC, Top 30, and everyone else for making the feed happen.

Akiyo flashes pretty easily. Left hand static to finish like Anna and Shauna.

Akiyo staticing the last move.

Jule gets called off her first go same as Shauna. Next go she gets to the top. The last move looks quite reachy for her but she gets it 1st go with her right hand like Mina, but instead of falling works her right hand up til she can let go with her feet and left hand and hang match. She did this by pushing up against the right foot and riding the left hand undercling until her right hand was draped over the top, more positive angle on the volume.

Jule at the top. Her right hand is high enough she can let go with her left.

Alex unfortunately is in last already, which much be terrible for her as she’s been in first for the whole comp so far, flashing all the qualis and winning semis as well. She looks done already here and falls on the first move of the problem. Next go she gets to bonus and then falls reaching for the gaston. Next go she does 1st move and falls matching the volume. Next go she’s back up to bonus, chalks on the volume, gets up to last move as time runs out, falls jumping right to last hold. Ends up in 6th. For some reason the IFSC site (and the result below) hasn’t yet given her credit for the 4th problem bonus, but she definitely grabbed it so I’m not sure what’s up with that.

Alex camping out on bonus and setting up for the rock left. She got the gaston, pressed into it, and fell off the last move.

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Men’s 4

Kilian trying to hold the spin out on MF4.

Hard pull on to establish on a volume, stand up into a corner roof, lean way out to a bonus, cross to a volume with a thumb catch, two triangle volumes, bad volume final hold so you have to keep your feet on and stay in.

Kokoro didn’t get scored for bonus (or it wasn’t yet updated) but he seems to have grabbed it.

So close! Kokoro must not have held the bonus long enough to be scored for it.

Jan got up nicely through the bonus on his 2nd try, got out around the corner, then slipped grabbing the next volume. He rested a long time, then got up into the roof and slipped just as the timer ran out. Bummer.

Pressing into the roof.

Ugh.

Jan getting bonus.

Jan coming around the corner off the bonus.

Jan trying a heel for the next move. He went up right but fell off.

Jeremy is pressing up into the corner by rocking over the left foot and pressing right hand up (instead of matching like Jan did).

Jeremy going right only into the roof.

Like Shauna on the women’s problem, Jeremy also seems to be having some issue with the judges, maybe a loose hold that the setter is reinforcing with another screw. Jeremy gets a little more rest out of it. Now Jeremy is back on but he can’t seem to hold the 2nd hold. He’s it it several times right hand as a gaston and fell. Jan hit it left and matched, which looked better. He finally gets it, then falls rocking on left foot. The buzzer buzzed but who knows how much time he has left–the technical threw the clock off again, at least on the live feed. Back on, does the 2nd move better, rocks over the foot, stands into the corner right hand again, may have finally hit time out, falls out of the corner right after. No bonus.

Dmitrii climbs through the bottom crossing left to the 2nd hold and matching like Jan, gets bonus, comes out around corner, campuses left to triangles (instead of right like Jan tried) brings his right hand up to match in compression but falls off instead. Next go campuses up left again, slows down to control it which he does, but falls trying to stick the right hand when he grabs the other triangle. Next go falls in the roof, looks like he says it’s tweaky on his arm and he’s done.

Dmitrii held this swing but couldn’t get right hand up.

Kilian got through the bottom, then, like Dmitrii, struggled to hold the left triangle and then, unlike Dmitrii, fell before even trying to move his right hand. It doesn’t make a difference though, both got bonus first go. Next go falls in the same place but a little faster. Last go as time runs out he’s back on, the rock over and press into the corner looks uncomfortable, he falls out of the roof.

Rustam getting bonus on MF4

If Rustam flashes he will get gold. He falls off trying to rock up under the roof. Next go gets bonus, falls. Ends up in 3rd.

In the post-comp interviews both Anna and Shauna are quite gracious about the result. Anna says it isn’t ideal as they’d prefer to battle it out but some times you get lucky and that day she got lucky. Shauna says she did her best and she feels good about her performance.

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Next comp is in Grindelwald, Switzerland, next weekend May 10th and 11th.

Unfortunately the bouldering World Cup qualifiers are not being shown live this year, and at the tour’s first stop in China none of the event was streamed. There is now a replay of the finals though:

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Finalists

In climbing order.

Men

6. Jorg Verhoeven (NED)

5. Vadim Timonov (RUS)

4. Guillaume Glairon Mondet (FRA)

3. James Kassay (AUS)

2. Jan Hojer (GER)

1. Dmitrii Sharafutdinov (RUS)

Women

6. Marine Thévenet (FRA)

5. Shauna Cosxey (GBR)

4. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN)

3. Juliane Wurm (GER)

2. Alex Puccio (USA)

1. Anna Stöhr (AUT)

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Men’s Final 1

Jan Hojer sticking the cruxy first move on MF1.

This problem started with a one-two-three dyno that crushed souls and took Jan 800 (ok, really 14) tries to stick. Once he stuck it he went to the top. The only other male to finish the problem was Dmitrii Sharafutdinov, who did it his 3rd try.

Jan at the top.

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Women’s Final 1

The route setters indulged themselves with the right side of the wall and the volume array made up Women’s Final 1 and Men’s Final 3.

Shauna Coxsey near the top on her flash.

Shauna, Jule, and Akiyo came out and more or less hiked this thing. Puccio, Anna Stohr, and French climber Marine Thévenet got bonus but couldn’t get around the top. In the picture the last hold is at the top left corner of that top triangle, and apparently it was a bit hard to hold on to and work around.

Like the men’s cruxy first move on the first final, the women’s second final had this crazy cross-jump thing at the bottom that stood in everyone’s way. Once they stuck it, they sent.

Marine sizing up the jump. She didn’t end up sticking it.

Alex trying to stick the cross-jump. She didn’t finish this one.

Jule at the top of Women’s 2. She did it 4th try.

Shauna did this 5th go, Akiyo 10th go, and Anna 9th go.

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Men’s Final 3

Another cruxy party trick problem with few sends.

The counterpart to Women’s 1. Dance left, jump with a leg kick to catch the left-facing volume GG is staring at here.

Jan did it 8th go, Jorg did it 7th go, no one else even got bonus.

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Women’s Final 3

I don’t have a good shot of this one and it was the easiest women’s final and wasn’t very interesting. Pink holds that looked decent up some triangles. Everyone did it, and everyone flashed it except Marine who did it 2nd try.

Akiyo Women’s 3 Final

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Men’s Final 4

Balancey powerful moves up volumes, a big cross to bonus, more delicate looking moves across some jibs and small volumes, a sloping dish for the finish.

James did well on the bottom but didn’t get to the bonus. Neither did Jorg or Vadim.

Guillaume in the middle of his near-flash. Instead he fell on the last hold when he moved too quickly and swung off the not-jug. He didn’t end up finishing. Bummer.

GG near the end.

There was some success on this bolder though, Dmitrii flashed and Jan finished 2nd try.

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Women’s Final 4

A couple of powerful moves right out a roof with some big underclings, then a thrutch to the bonus which only Shauna, Alex, and Akiyo stuck, then a huge move to the next blue triangle, a small jib/mantle, and the top.

Akiyo with her right hand on bonus trying to figure out how to do the stopper move. You can see GG on the mat right after falling from the end of Men’s 4.

Alex becoming the only woman to stick this move and make the only send of Women’s Final 4. All three to get here tried toehooking/heelhooking but Alex quickly gave up on that and just jumped.

Alex Puccio put on a great show of strength here, but not finishing problem 1 really hurt her in the end. The announcers said Melanie had flashed problem 1 but apparently (according to the scores) she did it 2nd try. Good job to all the competitors for once again putting on an excellent show!

The scene at Women’s Qualifiers. Far left is Women’s 1, Blue volume on the red streak is #2, Roof with white holds is #3, far right overhang with volumes is #4. #5 is at the far right side of the wall and is near vertical on volumes. See below.

Akiyo Noguchi staring down Women’s Quali 5

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As usual the best ranked climbers climbed first, and since most of Team USA’s girls haven’t done any World Cups most of Team USA will climb near the end of the pack. Here’s a quick rundown of the problems, I’ll post results when the round is over.

The live commentator did a little interview with some of the women after they climbed. First was the #1 ranked woman, Austrian Anna Stöhr, and she had some interesting things to say. For one, she loves being in Vail. In regards to winning all the time:

I don’t think that I’m that much stronger than the other girls, sometimes I think I just had a bit more luck they they had. ~ Anna Stöhr

He also interviewed Alex Puccio about her qualifiers and if the altitude is affecting her at all:

I had a couple mishaps, I slipped off the top of the fourth one in the beginning. On the last one I slid off the start hold two times then I did it. It’s good to make your mistakes early on.

I used to be used to the altitude when I lived here. Every year that I haven’t been living here it gets harder and harder. I feel like I’m going to throw up after each problem and I’m not even falling up high. I can’t imagine falling at the top and trying to climb them again. ~ Alex Puccio

And Shauna Coxsey, who was quite cheery despite a knee problem she’s been having that the announcer asked her about:

It’s just hindering me a little bit on certain moves. It’s a bit of a disadvantage but it’s more important to climb next year than this comp which is why I stopped trying on number 3. I’ll just see how it goes. Take it easy and not push myself on certain moves too hard.

On the altitude:

Altitude’s a disadvantage but it’s a disadvantage for everyone. You get so pumped and so out of breath, everyone coming back [to iso] looks like they’ve just run a marathon. ~ Shauna Coxsey

Shauna will be staying around the Colorado for the next few weeks to climb on Colorado rock, so let’s hope her knee stays strong and she gets to climb some hard boulders! After that she’s home for training, then out to Australia for more climbing, then back home for more training before the next Bouldering World Cup of the season, Munich in August.

Back to qualifiers. As we saw in the Spot last week, there are many extremely strong women here to compete. It will be exciting to see how everyone does here in Vail! Here are the first set of problems they were tested against:

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Women’s Quali 1

Start under a small hang, move over lip to slab, two blobs, out left to blob on volume and a volume with two jibs on it. Mantle up/undercling volume, stand tall, foot on jib, stand up to finish. Don’t move too fast to top or fall off. Some interesting methods were tried on this one.

Alex Puccio on the first move of Women’s Q 1

Alex matching the blobs

Alex getting on the volume

Megan Mascarenas working out the mantle. She used strange beta but made it work.

Claire Bell using the knee

Tiffany Hensley taking a seat on WQ1

Megan standing it up. Most used the edge of the volume as she is with her left hand.

Megan at the top.

Lisa Chulich couldn’t quite reach, but this was good enough to get her a top. Nice job Lisa!

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Women’s Quali 2

Start, grab blob, work left, heel, rock up right hand to volume, compress the arete on volumes.

Isabelle Faus on the arete of WQ2

Anna Stohr bumping to the underblob on the arete of Q2

Up to a blob bonus, rock over to the headwall on a volume to a challenging jump to and a challenging match on the finish volume.

Anna Stohr moving to bonus

Melissa Le Neve topping 2. Akiyo did it with a stem out right. Shauna kept her left foot low. So did Angie.

Angie Payne about to match. She did, then her feet cut and she sort of campused.

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Women’s Quali 3

Steep and powerful. Start on pinches, one hold on flat wall, heel or toe up on start hold, committing move to first big hold in roof.

Tyler Youngwerth using the heel hook.

Monika Retschy headed up the roof on WQ3

Match. Thuggy looking moves through roof with clamp feet. Keep the feet on or fall off.

Melissa Le Neve on the steepest part of WQ3. She looked really shaky on this one but managed to finish it!

Up to pinch, left to bonus hold (big matching hold just under lip)

Aya Onoe going to bonus on WQ3

Match bonus.

Melissa matching on WQ3. Notice the block at the top left of the hold. There is one just below it as well, making this hold more challenging to grab and move off of.

Kyra Condie and another view of the blocked bonus hold on WQ3

Over the lip left hand to the blue hold between the Enterprises E and N below.

Megan Mascarenas getting over the roof. Unfortunately she fell before moving on.

Out right to white blob, match, up right to finish on Versa-pinch.

Melissa Le Neve sticking the top of women’s Q3.

This last move seemed to be a bit of a surprise for most competitors who got there. It must have been farther than it looked as competitors including Shauna Coxsey and Angie Payne came slightly short of sticking it. To her surprise, Melissa Le Neve did stick it.

Melissa Le Neve glad to be on the finish hold of WQ3

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Women’s Quali 4

Steep and powerful up an overhanging wall and an arete. Start on two balls, feet on pinchtites, jump to a bloctite with another bloctite just over it.

Melanie Sandoz on the first move of WQ4

Lisa Chulich tried using the right arete to stand tall. It worked but she then tried to do a dynamic cross to the bloctite that she couldn’t stick. It looked like a toehook or just using the regular method would have been better for her.

Lisa Chulich trying to use the arete.

Akiyo did the regular method and quickly got her feet up.

Match the bloctites with a foot or feet up, power move to a small hold up and left,

Nina Williams powering to the crimp

…heel on…

Francesca Metcalf preparing to move up to the volume

then left around the arete to the bonus hold.

Akiyo moving from bonus and volume up to the crimp and 2tex vortex. The vortex is pretty good if you hit it right but it’s a small hole and the inside is very good in one position and not so good in the others.

Balance on the heel and get right hand in vortex.

Angie Payne bumping to the vortex.

Angie Payne balancing to bump her left hand in.

The sequence Angie tried for the end was: bump left into the little blue hold below the lip, right up to higher blue hold on headwall. I imagine next would be left hand into vortex, up to finish, but she fell here and didn’t get back before time ran out.

Next would be up to the blue hold in the Enterprises S.

From there it looked like you could thrutch left to the last pinch or you could maybe flip the vortex and go right as a gaston then match. Don’t remember if anyone tried the flip method, most didn’t even get near the top of this one.

Melissa Le Neve finishing left hand first on Women’s Quali 4

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Women’s Quali 5

Back to the vertical for some balance, stand-up, squeeze, and press moves on volumes. This one required the climbers to move deliberately with good body tension. The start seemed quite challenging, the middle ok, then matching the undercling bonus was powerful and matching the finish was no picnic either. Most who got to the last hold did figure out the match, but I saw at least one climber move too fast at the top and slip trying to match the finish before they’d gotten a solid body position.

Katha Saurwein of Austria on the bottom of WQ5

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk getting in position for the stand up on Q5

Alex Puccio making her way through the middle and onto the bonus of Quali 5

Shauna getting in position to match the finish hold, the left volume, of Qualifier 5.

Staying low like Shauna is here seemed the best way. Several competitors mantled up on the left hand and then tried to reach down and match. Mina Leslie-Wujastyk dropped back down to the position Shauna is in and matched. Melanie Sandoz (FRA) went for the match from the high position but her foot slipped as she brought her right hand across and she had to try again, fell repeatedly at the bottom and throughout the problem, and unfortunately didn’t finish. Briton Leah Crane fell in the middle but then got back up and tried a few things before eventually making the match without falling.

Women’s Qualifiers, way up high. 1 is on the farthest left, 2 & 3 are on the overhanging bulge, 4 is the steep roof with the big volumes, 5 is the slight overhang farthest right. You can see some of the competitors waiting down the stairs on the left side of the screen.

There was one set of 5 boulders for qualifiers for the entire women’s field.

Part of the way through qualis the announcers said it started to get a lot hotter in the venue. That probably made what looked like a difficult set of problems feel even more difficult.

Later when they interviewed Alex Puccio she said it was really hot while climbing, there were no fans, and the volumes were really hard to hold on to because your hands got quite sweaty. She suggests fans for the boulder problems for tomorrow to help the problems stay cooler. She also said the crowd is fantastic, loud and enthusiastic, and the last Canadian World Cup was just as loud and enthused.

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Women’s Quali 1

Women’s Quali 1 on the left.

A short balancy problem starting on a purple volume. Step across a shallow wide corner to another purple volume, lean over or lurch to a left orange gaston and a right press on a large Teknik blob, feet over, right foot up onto another teknik blob or heelhook on the big one, higher right hand available (looked pretty bad, for balance only) stand up on the large blob to match the finish hold in the roof in an overhead press.

Akiyo about to finish women’s 1

Most of the stronger competitors that we watched hiked this one or hesitated and then got through it. As the round progressed people began to have trouble finishing this but, appropriately, it still got done the most of the qualifiers.

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Women’s Quali 2

Women’s Quali 2

Steep up an arete. The commentators said this one would be the hardest of the lot, but it didn’t prove to be true. Start under the left side of a roof on purple jug with feet on the sidewall, gaston right in roof, left pinch or sidepull in roof, lurch over the angle change to the bonus hold on the headwall, a slopy looking orange pinch. Lurch left around the arete to a large blue Revolution volcano.

Jule getting bonus on Quali 2. Volcano is next.

Thuggy move up left to side pull around arete, up right to hold on a green triangle volume.

Akiyo Noguchi thugging her way through Quali 2

Up left hand first to top hold which is directly above the volume so you have to move up and around the arete to get to it.

Dianne Merrick of GB trying the heel method.

Seemed like you could either heelhook lock these moves or pogo or jump through them.

Anna Stöhr doing the last move on Q2 with the heel method.

Most of the top competitors did this easily, but Jule Wurm had trouble working with the bonus hold and she didn’t end up finishing.

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Women’s Quali 3

Anna Stöhr on Women’s Quali 3

Start on the other side of the roof from Quali 2, looked jumpy and powerful. Holds on a volume, a few in the roof…

Shauna Coxsey in the roof

…turn around, bicycle feet, power move to a jug on the bottom of another volume…

Jule jumping for the volume jug

…cross to a jug undercling also on the volume, jump to a sloper on the headwall. This move looked cruxy.

Alex Puccio rocking up the headwall.

Feet on the volume jugs, balance up through two smaller holds to the finish.

Akiyo at the top.

Looked like a leg press for the last move and balance to match it.

This problem looked similar to #2 in terms of how competitors were doing on it. All the strongest hiked it, except Jule, who didn’t finish it.

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Women’s Quali 4

Anna Stöhr on Q4

Big purple volumes on a roof. Start, move up to a blue diamond sloper pinch and left to another volume. Match other volume, shift up on it until you get bonus, a jib screwed to the top corner of the volume.

Akiyo making it work.

Akiyo trying a slightly different way.

Up to a hold on another little triangle volume.

Akiyo Noguchi crushing Q4

Jib on a circle volume.

Akiyo Noguchi

Thug jump to finish.

Akiyo sticking the last move of Q4

This one proved to be the most difficult of the lot. Anna Stöhr came out and didn’t even make bonus despite lots of effort. Akiyo Noguchi came out next and hiked it. She pressed thorough the bottom easily by matching the blue diamond, dropping down to the 2nd big volume, matching, flipping a hand to a reverse hamhock, changed to a shuffle up the volume, reached over to the bonus, then up to the higher volumes. It didn’t even look like she actually grabbed the last hold, but she stuck it somehow, swung out on it casually, came back in, matched, done. Puccio didn’t get bonus, unless they counted her touching it with her foot. She put in a lot of good efforts but couldn’t solve the bottom. Jule Wurm made bonus, then didn’t get the next hold. Shauna Coxsey didn’t get anywhere. Momoka Oda looked good to bonus, didn’t finish. Melissa Le Neve also managed this one. Katha got bonus. Besides them I didn’t see anyone else really get anywhere on it.

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Women’s Quali 5

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk on Women’s Q4

Farthest right on the wall. Large green volume with holds on it to start. Up to two large orange slopers that I can’t identify for make.

Anna Stöhr on the Q5 orange slopers.

The slopers. Dual-tex. Maybe Element?

Cross to the bonus hold – a sloper on a large purple volume. Match, up to another sloper on a purple triangle volume. Step up and lurch or power to lip.

Anna setting up for the move to the lip.

Shift along lip to finish spot. Match.

Anna fell from the top, then finished. Alex Puccio hiked this, doing the top really easily by shifting along the lip to the finish instead of just jumping for the finish spot.

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Women’s Quali Results

Not sure where Akiyo fell, but she only fell once and she finished everything for first place with 5 tops 6 tries, 5 tops 5 tries.

Next up was Melissa Le Neve with 5 tops 9 tries, 5 bonus 8 tries.

Shauna and Puccio tied for 3rd with 4 flashes each. Neither made any headway on problem 4 so no score for that one.

Anna Stöhr’s fall at the top of problem 5 puts her in 5th here with 4 tops, 5 tries.

Women’s Top Quali Results Toronto

Interesting about this round – the 12th place to 20th place competitors made semifinals with only a single top in qualis. Not sure if this means qualis were too hard, or the field just wasn’t deep enough, as the top competitors were all fairly close together (minus problem 4).

More female qualifiers to make it through. Notice that a single flash was good enough for 12th place.

The heat was probably big factor as there looked to be a lot of sloper and volume climbing here and when it is hot those types of holds often feel impossible.

19 & 20 make it through to qualifiers. The rest are out.

Nice job to Sierra and Megan for squeaking through in 19th and 20th places!

Momoko Oda trying to stick the start jump. She finally did stick it but didn’t manage to stick the next hold nor continue.

Akiyo Noguchi came out first and fell a bunch of times trying to stick the start jump. Finally she stuck it and finished the boulder.

Melissa Le Neve also fell on the start several times. She stuck it and time ran out so if she fell she was done, she matched bonus and moved left to the higher large red 1/2 saucer volume. Her right hand blew off the bonus but she hung the saucer left handed one arm. She got swung her feet back on and finished, laughing at herself.

Melissa Le Neve at the end.

Aya Onoe finally got through the bottom to bonus, only to fall here and then fall off the start 2x more before time ran out.

Anna did the start jump, then fell. Looked at the problem, got back on, and climbed it smoothly.

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Women’s 2

Start by mantling up on the teardrop volume. Jump left to sidepull and feet landing on volume. Balance straight up on high foot. Match left hand/foot. Stand up. Jump to finish.

Aya on the start mantle.

Akiyo Noguchi sizing up the sideways jump. She did it 2nd go and sent.

Momoko Oda came out next and did the mantle straight off but couldn’t seem to do the sideways jump. It looked like she was going to smash into the landing volume. Then, all of a sudden, on her last go, she stuck the side jump, stood up, didn’t even bother with the bonus box (a taped box on the wall) and stood up to the finish.

Momoko Oda starting up the slab.

Melissa standing up on the slab. She flashed.

Melissa Le Neve sizing up the last move.

Aya got through the beginning 1st go, then fell working her way up the slab. Next go (I think?) she solved the slab and sent.

Aya at the top.

Anna came out last. She flashed the bottom but as she started up the slab she bobbled the jib. She caught herself, bobbled again, caught herself, bobbled again, turned around to get the crowd to cheer for her, moved up the slab, went to the last hold right hand instead of left like everyone else. Grabbed it, then slipped and fell off! She looked very stressed. Next go she bobbled the slab again, caught herself again, got back up and went right again to the top and this time stuck it. 2nd go.

Anna Stohr on her 2nd go dealing with the tiny jibs on the slab.

Anna sending.

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Women’s 3

Triangle volumes up a vertical or just overhanging wall.

Akiyo climbed up to bonus pretty casually, then fell moving to the last hold, coming up just short. Bonus is a triangle volume with another triangle volume on the bottom of it. Undercling to the last move. She fell there again. Didn’t finish.

Akiyo on the bottom of Women’s 3

Akiyo crimping the top edge of the volume.

Melissa on the right in the middle of Women’s 3

Momoko sizing up the last move. She didn’t quite make it either.

Melissa at the end. She fell multiple times jumping for the last hold.

Jule looked strong through the bottom into the bonus, then didn’t try to undercling and ended up falling off. Next go she didn’t use the undercling either, but it worked, cause she sent! Only send so far.

Jule with her different beta on the top volume.

Jule sticking the top.

Aya climbed up to the bonus as well, then struggled trying to figure out how to get to the last hold. She falls. Done.

Aya on the bonus. Feet slipped and she fell from here.

Anna came out, climbed through the bottom, used the undercling on the bonus, flashed! She was clearly psyched.

Anna sticking the last move off the undercling.

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Women’s 4

Akiyo styling the bottom of 4. She flashed.

Momoko on the middle of 4. She flashed.

Melissa flashed.

If Jule flashes she will win. She flashes. She wins! Her first gold!

Jule flashing #4. She knows she won and she’s psyched!

Aya climbs through the bottom easily, then falls trying to stand up on the arete. She falls some more.

The first problem for each quali group (the rightmost two problems in the picture above) were identical or nearly identical. You can see Melissa Le Neve of group B in the middle of one of them.

Women’s Quali 2

The second problems were quite different. On the far left is Alex Puccio on Group B Problem 2. The problem was balancy and technical but it got done and Alex was one of the girls who sent it.

In the middle of the photo above is Shauna Coxsey on Group A Problem 2. This problem looked very balancy as well and the bottom was ok but the last two moves were causing some major issues. Shauna fell at the very top, Anna Stöhr just a tad lower. I didn’t watch all of qualis but I didn’t see anyone send it, and only one climber in Group B had 5 tops, so I’m guessing she was the only person to finish this one. That climber was Olga Iakovlena of Russia, and I don’t know anything about her but so far this season she took 7th last event in Kitzbühel, 16th in Millau, and 14th in Chongqing. She got 2nd at the 2012 World Championships in Paris, so clearly she is a competitor to keep an eye on.

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Women’s 3

Women’s Quali 3

These looked a bit easier, and were quickly dispatched by some of the strongest girls. Anna Stöhr is on the left on A3, Akiyo Noguchi on the right on B3. Both sent.

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Alex Puccio and Shauna Coxsey on Women’s 4

Women’s Quali 4

Alex is on B4, Shauna is on A4. On B4, which looked powerful, Alex hiked to this point, then fell from the last move. She then fell from the last move again, then off the bottom a couple of times in the last seconds. She looked to be having friction issues. She didn’t finish this one, but she did the other 4 and goes into Semis tied for 6th. Shauna sent.

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Women’s Quali 5

Women’s Quali 5

Again, fairly different. Both got done.

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Women’s Quali Results

Top 20 go to semifinals. I’m posting them all though to save you the trouble of the IFSC’s website cause I can’t find a permalink.

Some strong climbers who have been doing well this season are out including Swiss climber Petra Klingler, who qualified first in Kitzbuhel.